Outlet-box bracket.



J. C. GAINE.

OUTLET BOXBRACKET.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.9,191Z

6 1,066,706 Patented July 8, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE: Immns c. CAINEyOFDENVER, commune, ass cn-oa OF-ONE-HALF TO THE new pawn ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF DENVER, oononAno, a CORPORATION 01* COLORADO.

' OUTLET-BOX BRA KET.

T c all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JAMES -CATNTB, a

citizen of theUnited States of America, re-

siding at the city and county of. Denver and I 5 State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Outlet-Box. Bracket,- of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new article of manufacture and it comprises an adjustable,

a fire-proof supporting bracket-,for supporting electrical w ring outlet-boxes, switch-boxes and cabinets" between ceiling, joist, iron beams, and wall studding members, that is also'adapted to form a lath surface td lay plastering -mortar on and over, and that. is so. arranged that the bracket with 1 ends of uneven'and of any predetermined lengths, and a form ofprovided with depressions instea of corrugations. Fig. 4, is a plan view of a flat form of bracket, and Fi 5, is a sectional view through a portion-0E ing the preferred-form of bracket secured to the studding of-thepartition, the-bracket and an outlet-box which is secured thereto also being shown in section.

.' Similar letters of reference'refer to simi-- lar parts throughout-the several views; 1

Referring to the drawings, my adjustable fire-proof supporting bracket consists of a thin bar or st 'ripl, of iron or any other suitable metal or fire-proof material. This bar is made of a width thatwill enable it' Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 9-, 1912. Serial No. 670,228.

.plastering'will lock to it, and second, to" ,provide an inherently trussed. form of with diagonally arranged corrugations. Fig 3,-is also a similar view, showingthe bracket a partition, show Patented July8, 1913.

to be secured rigidly to the'j'wooden oriron ceiling beams of rooms or to the partition I interfere with thecirouitwire conduitp'ipes thatconnect to the cabinet, or outlet, or switch box it is adapted to-support, which hereinafter I will term the outlet-box, This supporting bar is preferably'made of thin rolledsheet iron, and the opposite end portions are arranged to rest" against the under side edges of the ceiling beams of rooms or against the outer edges of vertical partition studding, and in the preferred construction studding of walls, and at the same timenot of my fire-proof outlet-box supporting bracket the bar is provided with an offset:

portion 3, which I will call it's saddle por- .tion. bending a portion of the bar, between. its

This saddle portion 3, is formed by ends with. right or other angled side portions 4, and then again bending the angled side portions 4, to form a flat straight portion 5, between the angled sideportions 4 v and the ends of the bar. This flat saddle portion is made longenough to receive in itbetween its end wall portions, the outlet-box that is to set onthe flat portion '5 of the offset portion of the bracket," and this offset portion is made just long enough toallow the outlet box to fit closely between the bent end portions of the offset saddle portion of the bracket. Consequently the outlet can not accidentally move out. of position when it is once set where desired. The bottom of the saddle portion is provided With'bolt with knock-out apertures 71, at any desired part of it.

' Especially does my present invention contemplate a bracket provided with apertures along its oppositev end portion, and these apertures may be of any desired shape or form. 'Theends of the brackets may also he of any desired length that will extend between or overlap a pair of fioorjoists or beams or of wall studding.

My. present invention contemplates the end portions of the bracket made in unequal lengths, although if desired they can be 1 made of equal lengths, but in either case they are made long enough. The'object of making them of unequal lengths is to enable the outlet-boxes to be positioned atany de- 1 sired position between the ceiling-joists or beams or studding members, and especially. to allow the outlet-boxes to be positioned as close as may be required to either one or the other of the two joist beams or studding be,- 5 tween which it is placed. Consequently my present invention pertains more especially tobrackets having joist or beams or s'tud- .ding engaging ends of unequal lengths, and of suchlengths that the brackets may be reversed end for end and moved along to .bring the outlet in the position desired, and then be secured to the joist, beams or studding by nails, screws, wire, or any other suit ablemeans. The brackets may be made of 5 flat-smooth iron or they may be madeof corrugated iron or be c'rimped or corru gated or ribbed lengthwise of their length or diagonally or cross-wise oftheirlength, or be otherwise formed into uneven surfaces in order to provide a lath su'rfaceto plaster against and to which the'plast'er Will lOck itself when the ceilings or walls are plastered,

I preferably illustrate my improved bracket with its surface corrugated lengthwise of the entire length of theends of the bracket, as shown by 8, as this form makes a stifi well-trussed bracket, and if desired these corrugations may extend along the od set bent ends and saddle portion of the bracket, and in this corrugated form, plasterQreceiving apertures 9 are. distributed in the bottoms of the convolutions of the bracket, and .in any desired order of arrangement,'and this-form of bracket provides athoroughly practical and reliable surface for the plastering. Nail receiving Y apertures 10, are formed in the end members of the brackets, adjacent totheir opposite edges, the apertures on one side alternating with th'ose'on the other side, so that a hole on eitherone or theother side of the bracket will register with the joist or studding, as the case may be,'a'nd thus permit the -secur ing nail to be driven therein. I

In Fig. 2, the end members of the bracket are provided with diagonal stiffening corrugations 11, which also extend over the side portions of the saddle. These corrugations" are provided with plaster-receiving apertunes 14, and the spaces between these corrugations may also be provided withapertures if desired.

'In Fig. 3, the end members of the bracket are stiffened by being formed with rows of v concavo-convex depressions 15, the depressions'in one row alternatingwith those in the next row, and plaster-receiving apertures 16 are formed in the bottoms of the depressions, as shown.

Fig. 4, shows a flat form of bracket, the saddle being omitted, and this form of bracket may be used with a shallow outletbox. or one which is no deeper than the 65 thickness of the plastering.

I ed to be used on plastered ceilings and walls,

and the offset portion of: the saddle part of the bracket is made to'oorrespond to the depth of the outlet-boxes -used, and is made of such a relative depth to the depth of the cabinet or box to always'bring the outer open edges'of therabinet or box just even with the plastered wall when finished, and 35..

they are arranged in such relative position to the ends of the brackets as'to allow the usual thickness of first, second, and third or finishing coats of plastering mortar to be applied on the lathing over the edge surfaces ofthe studding or. ceiling joist, as is illustrated in Fig. 3. I

These cabinet or switch or outlet-boxes may be round or square or of oblong form, and they are made in various sizes and are adapted to receive withinthem electric wiring fittings, such as switches, chandelier attaching sockets, and drop light pulley and other attachments, and the electric circuit wires that extend to them from the electric current supply station and are incased in tubes called conduit tubes, iron tubes being generally used, and the sides and bottom portions of these outlet-boxes are p'royided with a lurality of knockout-apertures 12105 which are apertures that have beenfor'med by punching" out a disk of-metallilfand then the disk is driven back into theaperture again, thus leaving a plurality "of plugged apertures into which thepipe-or 11o tubular conduits may be extended froinany direction, and the plugs can be knocked out I of those .that come nearest in line with the direction the pipe and wire to run to or from. the outlet-box. I preferably, however, provide outlet-boxeswith .fiv'e knock-out apertures in the bottom" of the outletboxes, and I place one of these in the centefi of the outlet-boxes and the others at the 45;.degieeangular points from a diametrical "line through the box parallel with the saddle portion of the bracket. The sides of the outletboxes may also be provided with any desired number of knock-out apertures, and

they may be placed, as well as those in the bottom of the outlet-boxes, in any predetermined order.

The operation of my cabinet or box supportingbracketis as follows: During the construction of a building the electric wir- 13 -ing isput in place before the lathing and plastering are put into lace, and these outlet-boxes are positioned wherever itis 86-3 sired to. have a chandelier or a drop or bracket or a wall lamp, and from these cabinets and outlet-boxes conduit pipes, usually of iron, are extended, they being inserted at one endlin their knock-out a'pel" i tures and extending between and aim ide of ceiling and floor joists and partition studding, to which they are and by i Y which they are supported by clips. It has been the practice heretofore to nail a board between two of the floor joists or partition studding, and to secure the cabinets or out let-boxes to this board by screws, nails or othermeans. This method requires proper: adjustmentof the board to bring the top edge of the outlet-box even with the surface of the finished plastering work, which ne cessitates carefully applied labor and makes the present system -.expensive. 7

My fire-proof supporting bracket. can be stamped, pressed, punched orotiherwise made complete at any properly equipped metal; working shop, and it can-be made in the various sizes and shapes required to siipp'crt outlet-boxes in positions that will edges in the right positio even with the plastering when is applied after the brac ct and outlet-boxare secured per-manentlylin place. Consequently-the brackets can be made in duplicate lots of nnmbers, and may bewhen desired'permanently bolted to the boxes in the] Umrse- A quently, all that is required to place any? brackets in operative butiet-box suppontmg positions is to hold them up against. the i edges of two adjacent joists, beams or well studding members, and move :a=l ong or reverse them to bring the box in the position desired,- and then insert nails or;

- and secure them firmly to the joist, beams screws or Wire in their fastening openings or studding. In case thebraekets are put in place first and the outlet-boxes afterward, the outletbox is laid against the wddle, and the bolts are turned from the inside of the outlet-box into the nuts. -When the bracket has been secnredin place, the top edge of the open end of the be; willoome substantially and practically even with the, plastering when it is applied and finished,

"as the saddle portion, of the bracket has beenmade of a depth relative to the depth of the box that is used with it to allow for the lathing and the usuaidepth of mortar used in plastering ceilings and walls ofbuildings.

invention is simple, strong and fireso proofiand can be very quickly and correctly placed in buildings, and while I have illustrated and described the preferred construction vand arrangement of my-fire-proof outlet-box supporting bracket, I do not wish 5 to be limited to "the construction and at rangement shown, as manychanges might be made without departing from spirit of my invention.

Having described my inventioln wliat T 7 claim as new andadesire to secure by Letherslatent, is: l An outlet-box bracket having end scone Eng-portions of unequal length provided with plaster-holds, an intermediate 5 ofiseit portion forming ontletbox. seat closely fitting the-side's of 'the hnx, and having pipe 'op :ings corresponding to the pipe-openings of the ontlet box, and-means for detachably securing the 'intheseatt" "In testimony whereof I efix my signahire in presence of two witnesses." r p JAMES 0. mm.

Witnesses:

. G. SABGENT Ermo'rr, ADELLA FOWLE.

with- .9 

